Art workshops can be so much fun. I have just got back from conducting one with the Strensall Art Group. It is always nice to spend time with other painters and these are a great bunch. This is my second visit so I knew what to expect..but the cakes!Let me explain. The group have a ritual of taking it in turns to bake cakes each week and bring them to their get togethers. Today I enjoyed date slices and chocolate cake, both superb! Even the coffee was good served in a cafetiere. It was worth going just for these, and they kindly let me bring a couple of samples home for Merice, so many thanks.When I agreed to go I was asked if I would do a painting of the sea with cliffs and beach. As I now live at the seaside, this was no real problem. What was or could have been a problem is that I hadn't picked a paintbrush up this year.I have been doing iPad paintings in preparation for a display at the Bondville Model village which opens very soon. So it was with some trepidation that I picked up a brush for a quick practice last week. "Oh you'll be OK," said Merice,"It's like riding a bike - you never forget.".Thankfully she was right. Now I have been extolling the virtues of the iPad for the last six months or so, but really there is nothing like dipping that brush into nice wet paint and setting about that paper...splash on!

We only had a couple of hours, so everybody had to work really hard to produce a first class set of paintings.Once again a big thank you to Strensall Art Group for having me and a special thanks to Bill (that's him on the floor with the hairdryer) for the date slices and the u-boat!